<b>Chapter </b>504
That evening, in the cozy suburban home.
Two couples snuggled up in the living room, their eyes glued to the TV screen, tuned into the evening news channel.
Minutester, the broadcast began. Tonight’s headline was the talk of the town-
Bertha had been arrested!
During the report, they reyed theical footage of Bertha being carted off by the police, a scene so funny it could still make one,ugh until they hit the jackpot.
“Huh? That dashing cop looks so familiar, Where have I seen him before?”
Mari’s slender fingers tapped her chin thoughtfully, then her eyes sparkled with recognition. “Oh, I remember now! He was sitting next to me at Myra’s birthday party. He even chatted with me. Umm!”
Before she could finish, Jareth’s gaze darkened, and he couldn’t resist capturing her chin, enveloping her soft l*ps in a passionate k*ss that was fiercely jealous.
Evadne and Thaddeus were engrossed in the news when they heard the unmistakable sounds of affection, both pausing in surprise. Thaddeus shifted his sturdy frame, shielding the steamy live scene from view, and leaned in to nt a deep k*ss on Evadne’s l*ps.
“What’s the matter? Too R–rated for me to see<b>?</b>”
Evadne pouted petntly. “I’ve seen all sorts of things in my life. It’s just a k*ss, after all.”
“It’s not that. I just didn’t want you to feel awkward.” Thaddeus pinched her cute nose, a resigned smile on his face-
“Hmph, I’m not the one who gets embarrassed. It’s always someone else.”
Jareth pulled away from Mari, his eyes still flushed with emotion. Mari was left breathless, her eyes misty from his k*ss.
“Babe, are you trying to make me jealous by mentioning another guy?“..
His fingers traced her moist l*ps, his voice husky. “Handsome cop? Is he handsomer than your husband, huh?”
“Umm, you’re both handsome,” Mari blushed like a ripe peach.
“Yeah? Who’s more handsome?” Jareth teased, tickling her.
“You are, Jareth! You’re the handsomest<b>!</b>” Mari giggled uncontrobly, huddling <b>in </b>his arms.
Evadne crossed her arms and rested her head on Thaddeus’s broad shoulder<b>, </b>casting a sidelong nce at Jareth. “If <b>it </b>weren’t for love being blind, it’d be hard to say who’s more handsome<b>.” </b>
Jareth’s heart pounded like a drum!
Anyone with eyes could see Evadne’s adoration <b>for </b>Mari. If he <b>hadn’t </b>made his move first, who knows if Evadne might have set Mari up with one of her brothers to be the Ashbourne family’s darling?
With that thought, he clutched Mari’s hand as if someone was trying to steal her away.
Meanwhile, the news mentioned that Jeff had been rushed <b>to </b>the hospital overnight, the reason undisclosed.
No guessing needed–it must have been stress!
And there was Matthew, the CEO of the Chambers Group, standing at the hospital entrance, bombarded by the media, looking as grim as if he’d lost his own father.
Indeed, even someone as mentally tough as him was probably on the verge of a breakdown with troubles inside and out.
“Awesome! This beats any holiday TV special, doesn’t <b>it</b><b>?</b>” Jareth eximed, his strong arm around Mari, pping his thigh in delight.
Mari leaned into him, licking a strawberry–vored popsicle, then offering it to his l*ps after a few licks.
He took a bite where she had Jicked, hisrge hand gently stroking her hair, his eyes filled with adoration.
“Now<i>, </i>with Bertha and her husband locked up–one for forcing women into prostitution and the other for threesome–they really do match. Like attracts like, as they say,”
Evadne watched Matthew’s pale face on the screen with disdain. “The Chambers family is in hot water now. It won’t be long before the prosecutors summon them Jeff suddenly being hospitalized is probably just a ploy to avoid attention.”
Thaddeus nodded in agreement. “Once the prosecutors start their investigation and call Jeff in, he’ll likely im illness to dodge the interview.”
“Damn, the cunning old fox!” Jareth cursed through gritted teeth.
“Jareth, what does ‘threesome‘ mean?” Mari asked with innocent, curious eyes.
Leave <b>it </b><b>to </b>the girl to focus on the important things.
That question silenced them all.
Jareth awkwardly cleared his throat and pinched Mari’s cheek. “Ahem. When we go back to the room and close the door, I’ll exin it to you.”
The news broadcast ended.
The Chambers family’s scandal <b>had </b>taken up a good deal of airtime, feeding their penchant for <b>ostentation</b>.
“It’s just so vile to force those girls into such things!”
Mari’s eyes reddened with anger after watching the report. “The police need to lock them up and get justice for the victims!”
“They’ve been caught, sweetheart. Don’t worry,” Jareth sighed, holding her close.
Silence fell in the living room for a moment.
Although Bertha had been arrested, Byron, who had wronged Nydia, was still atrge, his sins unforgivable.
And as for Avery, that serpent, even less needed to be said–like a thorn in their side.
So, their campaign against the Chambers Group was only a third of the way there.
Thaddeus noticed the seriousness in Evadne’s expression, wrapped his arm around her tense shoulder, and reassured her with a gentle squeeze, “Evadne, you’ve done so well already. The Chambers Group is one of the big four families, deeply rooted. It’s not easy to take them down overnight. You don’t have to worry about Byron; I’ll take care of <b>it </b>for you.”
“No, none of us needs to lift a finger<b>.” </b>
Evadne’s eyes sparkled coldly, a sly smile on her l*ps. “Someone will take out the trash for us.”
Jareth looked puzzled. “Who?<b>” </b>
It was Thaddeus who seemed to read her mind, his eyebrows lifting slightly. “You mean Avery?”
“Smart man, my husband,” Evadne said with a twinkle in her eye, wrapping her arms around his n*eck. “Ah? He’s a Chambers, and with the whole Chambers Group in shambles right now, how could he possibly add yet.
to
the chaos?” Jareth hadn’t figured it out
Isn’t it said that love makes fools of us all?
– 7
“Avery and his mother were exiled from the Chambers family to the outskirts of Helgen for fifteen long years. During that time, Jeff turned a blind eye to them, as if they didn’t exist within the family. Avery has always been hungry for power, never satisfied, and his mother is now in thete stages of Alzheimer’s. You can only imagine the resentment and bitterness he’s been harboring all these years. Put yourself in his shoes – would you still feel any loyalty to the Chambers family? You’d probably dream of crushing them like bugs and swallowing up the whole Chambers Group for yourself,” Thaddeus spoke in a voice smooth as a single malt whiskey.
“Take over the Chambers Group? Avery must be biting off more than he can chew!<b>” </b>Jareth scoffed at the thought.
<b>“</b>If the Chambers family could unite and pull together, Avery wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Evadne’s gaze darkened, “But if the Chambers family falls into disarray, he’ll see his chance to eliminate the thorns in his side, stirring up trouble from within. Bertha’s done for, and he’ll definitely strike while the <b>iron </b><b>is </b>hot against Byron next, and then Matthew. When that happens, with no one left to support Jeff, the Chambers Group will naturally fall right into Avery’sp.
Thaddeus let out a scornful chuckle, “Evadne’s got <b>it </b>right. It’s exactly the kind of sneaky move you’d expect from Snaky Avery.”
“So, what we need to do now is to stand firm and respond to whateveres <b>our </b>way.”
Evadne looped her arm confidently through herpanion’s muscr one, her eyebrows arching with confidence<b>, </b>“As long as we make no move, Avery will be restless and will inevitably make his move against Byron.”
The next day, the stock market opened.
The Chambers Group’s stock plummeted, painting the whole town of Elmsworth green with envy and scorn, a sight so distressing it could cause heartache.
The scandal surrounding Bertha and her husband fermented, and the reputation of the Chambers Group plummeted, <b>stirring </b>unrest within the corporation!
On the third day, Jeff was still feigning illness in the hospital, and as CEO, Matthew was summoned by the prosecution.
On the fourth day, Emeric was cornered by the media at a meeting and inevitably asked for his opinion <b>on </b>the Chambers Group’s predicament.
“Mr. Ashbourne, given your close personal rtionship with Mr. Chambers, what’s your take on the misfortune that has befallen <b>the </b>Chambers family?”
Emeric’s expression was cool as he replied, “Mr. Chambers and I were simply business associates in the past, and I hope you won’t be misled by gossip media. As for my opinion, all I can say is that if you make a mistake, you’ve got to own up to it and take your lumps. Let’s hope the Chambers Group learns from this and doesn’t disappoint the nation again.”
Jeff, watching the interview from his hospital bed, was so infuriated he smashed the TV to pieces with a chair.
Day by day passed, and Evadne and Thaddeus made no further moves.
Sure enough, a’s predicted by Evadne, the typically shrewd Avery couldn’t keep his cool.
Originally, he wanted to use someone else to do his d*rty, work, but seeing the storm almost over, he had to act or lose his chance.
That night, following Harvey’s trail and cloaked in darkness, Avery made his way to the detention center to meet Bertha.
The once pampered and privilegeddy had be a mere prisoner, disheveled and unrecognizable.
Moreover, her face was a patchwork of bruises – it seemed even the female inmates couldn’t tolerate her kind’s transgressions.
‘Dear sister, it’s been a while. How are you faring<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Separated by a ss partition, Avery leaned back, a grin ying on his l*ps as he looked at her..
“Hah. You cur, drop that nauseating act!” Bertha spat venomously, her eyes bloodshot and wild like a caged <b>she</b>–wolf ready to pounce and tear out his <b>throat</b>, “Don’t get <b>too </b>smug! <b>Dad </b>and Matthew will get me out of here! When I’m free, I’ll wring <b>your </b>n*eck! Just you wait!”
“Dear sister<b>, </b>even now<b>, </b>do you still pin your hopes on the men of the Chambers family? How naive.”
Averyughed mockingly, “If they wanted to save you, they would have done it by now. Why would they remain silent while you’re on the verge of being sentenced? Not only have they not tried to rescue you, but they haven’t even bothered to visit or arrange for someone to look after you in here. They won’t even lift a finger for you anymore<b>?</b><b>” </b>
He leaned backfortably, adjusting his sses with a cold smirk, “In the end, it’s me who still cares about you.”
A chill ran down Bertha’s spine as a storm of emotions contorted her features.
That’s right!
With her father and brother’s influence, why couldn’t they make things easier for her?
Their silence these past days. Did it mean they were sacrificing her, abandoning herpletely? Why?
“Ah, damn it all! They’re all beasts!” Bertha screamed, her outburst prompting the guards to pin her down.
Avery’s joy was hidden behind a mask of concern, “Since nothing can be changed right now, why don’t I take some revenge on your behalf? How about
that?”